Sad. I remember seeing her in the news footage of the Beslan Massacre.

The mangled War on Terror has been a boon for Putin. The American media can now blithely lump Chechen rebels in with Islamofascists of all stripes. And Chechen men, women, and children will continue to be murdered, tortured, and raped by the Russian army.

Nuance being for pussies, obviously.posted by bardic at 4:29 PM on October 7, 2006

.

Damnit. For some reason, this made me immediately think of Fred Cuny, another person out there, trying to make a difference, ultimately caught in the Russia/Chechnya crossfire. It's really disheartening.posted by Brak at 4:29 PM on October 7, 2006

Russia has become one of the deadliest countries for journalists. Twenty-three journalists were killed there between 1996 and 2005, many in Chechnya, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. At least 12 have been murdered in contract-style killings since Putin came to power, [executive director of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists Joel] Simon said.

"None of those have been adequately investigated," he said. "We do know that record creates an environment where those who might seek to carry out this murder would feel that there would be few likely consequences."posted by orange swan at 6:21 PM on October 7, 2006

That is really sad. About a year ago, I went to a panel discussion with Anna Politkovskaya at Gruner & Jahr, a publisher in Hamburg, who had invited her over to talk to their journalists about courageous reporting.

We found a few minutes to talk afterwards. She was an absolutely inspiring person. Warm and friendly, extremely articulate and, to my amazement, not bitter in the slightest. Despite there were noumerous assaults on her life already at the time, and she told the audience last year that she was expecting to be murdered daily.

That she still held her head up and filed courageous stories about the war in Chechnya, misuse of power in the Russian military and numerous other wrongs in the Russian society, makes her one of the great journalists of all times.

I truly wish, we had a lot more journalists like her.posted by Isdaron at 3:26 AM on October 8, 2006

There were also demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg. I think it's quite chilling that the demonstrations in Russia were smaller than the one in Finland.posted by hoskala at 12:22 PM on October 8, 2006

You really should consider living in Russia for a bit, Alex, where the things you bitch about in America are actually a reality.

Actually, journalists and whistleblowers have been harrassed and disappeared under "mysterious circumstances" here in the United States, as well, when their reporting has an impact on national policy or profit margins.

But this fact wouldn't fit into your warped reality, so I won't waste my time discussing it with a troll like you.

I'd ask you to take any further issues you have with my presence here to Metatalk or to the administrators directly, but I also imagine that since my polite emails to you have been so rudely answered, it would a waste of time to ask that of you as well. Good luck with your vendetta.posted by Blazecock Pileon at 6:12 PM on October 8, 2006

Actually, journalists and whistleblowers have been harrassed and disappeared under "mysterious circumstances" here in the United States, as well, when their reporting has an impact on national policy or profit margins.

To even compare any US incident (which you've conveniently declined to cite) to what happens routinely in Russia is the best definition of "warped reality" that I can think of.

And in light of the fact that you consider addressing you by name "a vendetta," I see no reason to engage you further by replying to your hostile, passive-aggressive emails sent under a false name.posted by Krrrlson at 10:07 AM on October 9, 2006

To even compare any US incident (which you've conveniently declined to cite) to what happens routinely in Russia is the best definition of "warped reality" that I can think of.

I'm sorry, but it is on you to make the case for your bald assertion that the US does not violently punish dissent, when the historical record so very clearly paints a different picture.

From the colonial days of The Philadelphia Aurora to J. Edgar Hoover's COINTELPRO, from Karen Silkwood to Jeffrey Wigand, from Gary Webb to Pinkertons doing cover-ups at MIT, from Elena Lappin to Anne Nelson, from Al Jazeera, Reuters and other journalists in Iraq being murdered by US soldiers, to sponsorship and training of military dictators in the US Army's School of the Americas who do the same in their own countries — and on and on — the United States has a long, bloody history of placing little value on allowing dissenting speech both at home and abroad.

I refuse to do any of your homework for you, Krrrlson, because either you knew you were wrong from the start and you were trolling, or you're now restating your claim by using slimy, slippery language like "routinely"; either way — as we both clearly understand — this was all just a ruse on your part, given this is now the fourth, separate post that you have attempted to hijack and derail in order to try to get a rise out of me — and, as much as it will delight me that it irks you, you should know for your own sake that you have failed badly.

If you and your friends so desperately want me banned from this site, go to Metatalk or email the administrators and make your case. If I've done or said anything genuinely wrong or offensive, believe me, I have no doubt that Matt will kick me off and block IPs etc. in a heartbeat.

But don't believe for a second that your bullying works on me any longer. Those days are long gone — and have been for some time.posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:05 AM on October 9, 2006

I refuse to do any of your homework for you, Krrrlson...

And it is not my job to educate you. My original suggestion to you was to consider living in Russia for a while. I'm sure I know what your response would be, and it makes your cowardice all the more apparent when contrasted with your brave online denunciations of the "tyrannical" American regime.

...the fourth, separate post that you have attempted to hijack and derail in order to try to get a rise out of me...

A lie, yet again.

But don't believe for a second that your bullying works on me any longer.

Most (formerly?) aggressive jerk on Metafilter complains of bullying. Film at 11.posted by Krrrlson at 1:48 PM on October 10, 2006

Yes, Alex, linking to my comment and then to yours proves I'm wrong. Because it makes it appear like you're backing up your points. Did you come up with that tactic all by yourself?

If you claim you have not been following me around from thread to thread to make comments to pick a fight, and that you were rude in your email correspondence, then, yes, you are lying, yet again.

Considering your idiotic and disproportionate responses when called out on your usual bullshit, as well as the fact that you are clearly refreshing this thread every minute to post something as soon as I reply, I think it's obvious who's following whom around.

I realize you are sore that I didn't take the bait in your passive-aggressive email, which you sent with the express purpose of staging a confrontation, but were too afraid to sign your name to... but I'm not sure what you're hoping to accomplish by bringing it up again and again.posted by Krrrlson at 9:05 PM on October 10, 2006

You really need to take a good, long, hard look at yourself and the things you've said, because you really just don't have a clue. Enjoy your grudge.posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:03 AM on October 11, 2006

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